Inherent Fate by Alicia Anthony
Series: Blood Secrets #3
Publication date: July 21st, 2020
Synopsis:
A discarded asset stripped of her identity...
An emotionally scarred ex-agent...
An innocent life hanging in the balance...
Who would you trust if the world was out to get you?
Losing Liv Sullivan in a Bureau operation gone bad turned ex-agent Ridge McCaffrey into a broken man. So when fate reunites him with the woman he thought was dead, he'll risk anything to make her part of his life again.
Liv Sullivan returned to the States with two goals: end the FBI's corrupt GenLink psychic intelligence program and reclaim the life it stole from her. But when the case against GenLink exposes a threat against Ridge's son, the cost becomes too great. Refusing to destroy more lives, she leaves Ridge, and the chance to reclaim her identity, behind.
But as a new generation of GenLink closes in, once-trusted allies become enemies, and long-buried secrets threaten.
Can Liv and Ridge end GenLink before echoes of the past destroy their future?
Inherent Fate is the compelling third installment in the Blood Secrets psychological suspense series. For fast-paced, emotionally intense story lines that keep you up past your bedtime, and intricate plots laced with romance, this award-winning series is for you.
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Excerpt
Ridge's gaze combed over my face. Pain dulled the cerulean sea of his eyes. He shifted his hand to tuck an unruly curl behind my ear. The corner of his mouth twitched, as if he was deciding the weight of his words. By the time he spoke it was little more than a whisper.
"Stay. Please."
Another vibration--desperation--sparked at me as his thumb traced my jaw. I jerked away on instinct and Ridge dropped his hand in surrender.
"No," I shook my head, trying to help him understand it wasn't his touch I'd pulled away from. "Touch me again," I whisper.
Ridge lifted his hand to graze my cheek once more, his eyes scouring me for signs of unease. I closed my eyes to his touch. At first, nothing but the warm security of his hands against my skin seeped through. But as his thumb started down my jaw, the spark hummed, this time with confusion and pain. I fought the reactionary exhale for as long as I could, absorbing his energy. But the moment it came, he knew--and I felt it.
"I can feel you," I whispered. He leaned closer, absorbing the words into the depths of his kiss. He tugged, pressing closer as a spike of heat from low in my belly ignited into flame.
I closed my eyes, expecting to see a monster's face. But it never came, driven away by the buzz between us. I wanted his skin against mine, needed the sensation of his own desire meshing with my own--proof I wasn't damaged beyond repair. Electric sparks of desperate need danced along exposed skin.
Ridge lifted me from the edge of the mattress, his lips never leaving mine. He tossed the covers back, repositioning me toward the head of the bed. He left me there, holding up his index finger in a wait-a-minute signal while he returned to the door. Shoving a nightstand in front of the unlockable slab of wood, he stepped back to admire his handiwork.
"Nice," I admired, unable to contain the giggle bubbling into my chest. "You act like you might have done this a time or two."
Ridge shrugged. "What? The door? Just twice actually, and not for the reasons you think." He unzipped his hoodie and pulled it from his arms, depositing it on the floor at his feet before tugging the white t-shirt over his head, ruffling the deep mahogany waves of her hair.
I propped up onto my elbow to enjoy the view as he slipped in next to me.
"Is this okay?" he asked.
I nodded, a choke of memories I'd just as soon forget taunted from the recesses of my brain. He took my hand, planting my palm over his heart, chasing them away. His eyes burned into mine. Electric sparks buzzed through my hand and into my arm, like the touch of an electric fence.
"What do you feel?" His voice slid like caramel through me, coating dregs of irrational fear. I focused on the churning emotions vibrating through my hand. The harsh knives of anger, frustration, and loss dulled into pinpricks by overwhelming hope. Love dueled with desperation below the surface, dusting all the other emotions with thin layers of skepticism and worry.
"Worry," I breathed. "Hope. But, Ridge, I can't stay."
"Shh--" Ridge lifted an index finger to cover my lips. "Right now, you're here. In this moment. In my arms. And I never thought I'd get that chance again."
"Stay. Please."
Another vibration--desperation--sparked at me as his thumb traced my jaw. I jerked away on instinct and Ridge dropped his hand in surrender.
"No," I shook my head, trying to help him understand it wasn't his touch I'd pulled away from. "Touch me again," I whisper.
Ridge lifted his hand to graze my cheek once more, his eyes scouring me for signs of unease. I closed my eyes to his touch. At first, nothing but the warm security of his hands against my skin seeped through. But as his thumb started down my jaw, the spark hummed, this time with confusion and pain. I fought the reactionary exhale for as long as I could, absorbing his energy. But the moment it came, he knew--and I felt it.
"I can feel you," I whispered. He leaned closer, absorbing the words into the depths of his kiss. He tugged, pressing closer as a spike of heat from low in my belly ignited into flame.
I closed my eyes, expecting to see a monster's face. But it never came, driven away by the buzz between us. I wanted his skin against mine, needed the sensation of his own desire meshing with my own--proof I wasn't damaged beyond repair. Electric sparks of desperate need danced along exposed skin.
Ridge lifted me from the edge of the mattress, his lips never leaving mine. He tossed the covers back, repositioning me toward the head of the bed. He left me there, holding up his index finger in a wait-a-minute signal while he returned to the door. Shoving a nightstand in front of the unlockable slab of wood, he stepped back to admire his handiwork.
"Nice," I admired, unable to contain the giggle bubbling into my chest. "You act like you might have done this a time or two."
Ridge shrugged. "What? The door? Just twice actually, and not for the reasons you think." He unzipped his hoodie and pulled it from his arms, depositing it on the floor at his feet before tugging the white t-shirt over his head, ruffling the deep mahogany waves of her hair.
I propped up onto my elbow to enjoy the view as he slipped in next to me.
"Is this okay?" he asked.
I nodded, a choke of memories I'd just as soon forget taunted from the recesses of my brain. He took my hand, planting my palm over his heart, chasing them away. His eyes burned into mine. Electric sparks buzzed through my hand and into my arm, like the touch of an electric fence.
"What do you feel?" His voice slid like caramel through me, coating dregs of irrational fear. I focused on the churning emotions vibrating through my hand. The harsh knives of anger, frustration, and loss dulled into pinpricks by overwhelming hope. Love dueled with desperation below the surface, dusting all the other emotions with thin layers of skepticism and worry.
"Worry," I breathed. "Hope. But, Ridge, I can't stay."
"Shh--" Ridge lifted an index finger to cover my lips. "Right now, you're here. In this moment. In my arms. And I never thought I'd get that chance again."
About the Author:
Alicia Anthony's first novels were illegible scribbles on the back of her truck driver father's logbook trip tickets. Having graduated from scribbles to laptop, she now pens novels of psychological suspense in the quiet of the wee morning hours. A full-time elementary school Literacy Specialist, Alicia hopes to pass on her passion for books and writing to the students she teaches.
A two time Golden Heart finalist and Silver Quill Award winner, Alicia finds her inspiration in exploring the dark, dusty corners of the human experience. Alicia is a graduate of Spalding University's School of Creative & Professional Writing (MFA), Ashland University (M. Ed.) and THE Ohio State University (BA). Go Bucks! She lives in rural south-central Ohio with her amazingly patient and supportive husband, incredibly understanding teenage daughter, two dogs, three horses, a plethora of both visiting and resident barn cats, and some feral raccoons who have worn out their welcome.
When she's not writing or teaching, Alicia loves to travel and experience new places. Connect with her on Facebook or Instagram. She'd love to hear from you!
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